APP SOUND | Music handpan opens limitless possibilities, say creators

A small handpan that offers a wide range of musical possibilities to users has been devised by Barcelona-based performers. Reuters’ Jim Drury reports.

This is the Oval, an electronic handpan developed by these Barcelona-based researchers. The digital percussion instrument has just eight notes, but connected to an App via smartphone or tablet it allows professional musicians and beginners to create a wide array of sonic styles.

“The Oval is a digital interface that controls music. It has eight pads sensitive to pressure at multiple points. We can do an XY track as if it was a touch screen so that we can identify different moves of a finger and identify patterns. Not only intensity, but also where you press and how you move your fingers across the pad. That makes the sound that comes out of it more expressive as it gives the sound different layers of samples. So the final sounds will depend on where you place your fingers and how you move them on the Oval,” OVAL Co-creator Alex Posada saying.

It has a comparable shape to other handpan instruments and is played in a similar way, but co-creator David Goldschmidt says the app connection makes it superior.

“It’s not an acoustical sound that you can get with a metal instrument. But, it brings you to a different level. It has a much, much, much bigger variety of sounds and diversity of things you can do. It’s a new path in the music world,” OVAL creator David Goldschmidt saying.

Its open source hardware controller allows users free creative rein.

“The app needs the instrument and the instrument needs the app. The complete Oval is composed by the control interface – the physical part – and the app. The two together make the global instrument. Through the control instrument you can express what you want and the sound is created through the app. The sound does not come from the instrument itself, it comes from the phone. So you connect to a sound system through headphones or a cable and then you are able to intensify it and listen to what you are creating,” Posada saying.

Crowdfunding pledgers can buy an Oval for 399 euros, two thirds of its eventual retail price. The ongoing campaign raised 100,000 euros in its first three days… music to the ears of its creators.

source: interaksyon.com

Xiaomi’s Mi Pad to go on sale in the Philippines on May 4

MANILA, Philippines — Xiaomi’s newest product, the Mi Pad tablet, is set to go on sale in the Philippines next week.

The Android tablet of the Chinese electronics company will go for P10,999 and has the following specifications:

• NVIDIA Tegra K1 quad-core 2.2GHz
• 192-core Kepler GPU
• 7.9″ IPS display at 326 PPI, Gorilla Glass 3
• 2GB LPDDR3 RAM, 16GB Flash (128GB expandable)
• 8MP BSI f/2.0, 5MP front camera
• Dual band 802.11ac Wi-Fi, 2×2 MIMO antenna.
•  

The company’s local PR affiliate said that interested customers may purchase the device through the website Mi.com/ph.

source: interaksyon.com

Tablets thrust Thai classrooms into digital era

MAE CHAN — In a rural classroom in the Thai highlands, hill tribe children energetically slide their fingertips over tablet computer screens practicing everything from English to mathematics and music.

The disadvantaged students are part of an ambitious scheme by the kingdom to distribute millions of the handheld devices in its schools in a move supporters hope will boost national education standards.

For opponents of the plan, however, it is an expensive gimmick designed to boost the popularity of the ruling party among parents — and the next generation of voters.

At Ban San Kong school in Mae Chan in the northern province of Chiang Rai, 90 children received a tablet computer last year as part of the “One Tablet Per Child” policy that was part of the government’s election campaign in 2011.

Previously the school had only a few desktop computers with limited Internet access.

Now, with headphones over their ears for one hour a day during class, the students use the devices for activities including singing English songs, watching cartoons about the life of Thailand’s revered King Bhumibol and playing math games.

With the school year just beginning, and the new tablet content yet to arrive, they are left to revise their lessons of the previous year as their teacher Siriporn Wichaipanid sits and watches.

She has received no specific training for using the tablets and seems at a bit of a loss.

“I have some knowledge. At home, I use an iPad,” she said. But “if I don’t understand, I don’t know how to teach the children”.

For the students — mostly from ethnic minority Akha hill tribe communities for whom Thai is not their mother tongue — using the tablets has been a positive experience, according to the school.

“The students cannot speak Thai very well but they can hear sounds more clearly from the tablets and repeat them,” said their teacher from the previous year, Wannawadee Somdang.

“Some of them dare not ask questions. It’s easier when they listen to the tablets.”

For now only two of the 90 students are allowed to take the computers with them after class to use in their homes, which often lack electricity.

“They don’t have Wi-Fi and it’s not convenient for them to charge the batteries. And most importantly their parents have no knowledge about the tablets,” said school principal Uthai Moonmueangkham.

But using devices that would normally be out of reach for the kingdom’s poorest children is progress, even if it is only just one hour a day, he said.

“They have the same opportunities as those in the city,” Uthai said.

Reducing the “education gap” between the urban rich and rural poor is one aim of the project, said Surapol Navamavadhand, an advisor to the minister of information and communication technology.

By the end of 2014, the government plans to distribute handheld computers to 13 million school children at a cost of about $100 each — a total of $1.3 billion — and then replace them every two years.

About 850,000 Chinese-made devices have already been given out, and the government says it will soon launch a tender offer for another batch of about 1.7 million tablets, in what it has described as the world’s largest handout of the devices for education.

Experts warn that the computers offer no guarantee of an increase in education standards.

The tablets are “just another tool” like a pencil, according to Jonghwi Park, an education technology specialist at UNESCO in Bangkok.

“It’s not about what to use, it’s about how to use it,” she said, urging governments considering introducing new technology for learning to think hard about whether it will really help them achieve their goals.

Critics of the Thai education system say much more radical changes are needed.

“If you want to deal with the education in Thailand, I can tell you that the whole system must be demolished,” said Somphong Chitradub, an associate professor specialised in child education at Bangkok’s Chulalongkorn University.

“Our classrooms are passive, tiring and boring,” he said.

Most Thai children are encouraged to memorise information and “lack courage to express opinions”, he added.

As a result, while other Asian nations fared well in the most recent global education survey by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development in 2009, Thailand came about 50th out of 65 countries in the rankings for reading, maths and science.

A mediocre performance compared with other nations that “focus a lot on process of thinking”, admitted Rangsan Maneelek, an advisor to the education ministry.

While the Thai education system places importance on whether the answer is right or wrong, other nations look at how students reached their conclusion, he said.

But he added that the tablets would help by enabling students to “surf the world for knowledge”.

And if some people worry about the possibility of children using the computers to look at pornography or play violent video games, others stress the need to prepare students for the digital era.

“For the kids these days, one of the most important capacities… for them to live in the 21st century is to know how to integrate those devices into their life,” UNESCO’s Park said.

“Without those skills, they cannot get a job.”

source: interaksyon.com

Samsung to ship 19 million Windows 8 computers this year: executive

NEW DELHI — Samsung Electronics Co Ltd will ship 19 million laptop computers and tablets operating on Microsoft Corp’s new Windows 8 operating system this year, said Jin Park, vice president of the IT solutions business at Samsung.

Microsoft, the world’s largest software company, launched its new-look, touch-friendly Windows 8 earlier this year to grip customers’ imagination, as it looks to regain ground lost to Apple Inc and Google Inc in mobile computing and shake up the moribund PC market.

source: interaksyon.com

Tech focus now on Microsoft Windows 8, Surface tablet

SEATTLE — Firm sales numbers for Microsoft Corp’s Windows 8 and its new Surface tablet will not be available for three months, but it may be clear long before then if it has a hit on its hands.

“We can definitely gauge it by chatter,” said Emily Chan, an analyst at Bernstein Research. “There is a slight learning curve, so I don’t think we will see that big pop that iPad saw.”

Microsoft is desperate for the new-look, touch-friendly Windows 8 to grip customers’ imaginations, as it looks to regain ground lost to Apple Inc and Google Inc in mobile computing and shake up the moribund PC market.

Perhaps more important is its new own-brand tablet called the Surface, available only through its own stores and website, which will challenge Apple’s iPad head on.

“I’d want to know the sales – and return rate – of the Surface,” said Sarah Rotman Epps at tech research firm Forrester. “But those numbers will be hard to get since Microsoft is the only retailer.”

Early reviews of the Surface have been mixed, generally praising the slick hardware, but faulting battery life and the limited software and applications available.

Some worry that the first Surface model, which runs on a stripped-down version of Windows 8 called RT that is not compatible with old Windows programs, will cause some confusion and dissatisfaction among customers.

The three models for sale on Microsoft’s U.S. website are already on back order, suggesting strong demand, but it is not known how many Surfaces Microsoft has manufactured.

“The fact it’s back ordered is indicative that there’s consumer interest,” said Michael Gartenberg, an analyst at tech research firm Gartner. “How Microsoft introduces it, evangelizes it and explains it will determine long term success.”

Ballmer noise

Microsoft has not said if it will reveal sales figures for Windows 8 or of the Surface before its next scheduled earnings on January 24. The company tends to trumpet good news and stay silent otherwise.

After the launch of Windows 7 three years ago, CEO Steve Ballmer waited only a month to announce strong sales. A year later, he waited only 10 days to report record-breaking sales of the Kinect, the motion-sensing add-on for the Xbox. But Microsoft has never shared the sales of Windows-powered phones, which have a lowly 3 percent of the market.

If Ballmer stays silent about Windows 8 sales, it might indicate a less than stellar performance.

“I would definitely take it a sign that it’s not super, super strong, but I won’t take it as something negative,” said Chan at Bernstein, who is expecting 8.3 million Surface sales by the middle of next year.

That averages out at about 1 million a month, a third the rate of the iPad, which notched up its first million sales in 28 days and has now sold more than 100 million units, averaging about 3.2 million a month.

Gartner forecasts that Surface and other tablets running Windows RT will sell about 2.3 million units this year and 9.3 million next year, grabbing about 2 percent and 5 percent of the worldwide tablet market, respectively.

Door-busters

Retail activity will be closely watched. Microsoft will have more than 60 brick and mortar stores open for the release of Windows 8 on Friday, half of them ‘pop-up’ stores that will stay open for the holiday shopping season.

Third-party retailers are cautiously optimistic.

“We have seen pretty good response to our pre-orders for Windows 8,” said Best Buy Co Inc spokesman Jeff Haydock. “Quite honestly, I don’t know what to expect from Friday. I don’t know if there will be lines or not. My sense is it will take some time for people to kind of come into the stores and check it out.”

Best Buy may give some color on how PC sales are going when it reports earnings on November 20.

Wal-Mart Stores Inc, the No. 1 U.S. retailer, said U.S. pre-orders for Windows 8 PCs “have been better than expected.”

Online retailers Amazon.com Inc, Newegg Inc and TigerDirect Inc have been silent on Windows 8 pre-orders.

The full impact of PC sales on retailers will not be evident until chains report same-store sales for November.

Quick reaction

One early indicator of Windows 8′s success will be the contents of the online Windows Store. Microsoft has had a harder time drumming up interest among developers for Windows 8, given the risk that there will be fewer users than competing platforms.

Microsoft will not disclose numbers, but there are expected to be 5,000 or so third-party apps available to U.S. users, in comparison with the iPad’s 275,000. Some big names such as Facebook Inc will be missing.

In social media, the tenor of comments on the Twitter hashtags #Windows8 and #Surface will give an indication of their reception after Ballmer unveils them both on Thursday.

Many users likely will be shocked by the new design, which dispenses with the Start button and features square tiles for apps.

“Public reaction to the new UI will depend how well Microsoft explains why ‘different’ is better and teaches how the new experience works,” said Gartenberg. “That all starts on Thursday.”

By the numbers

The ultimate test for Windows 8 will be PC sales.

Industry trackers are expecting a bump for PC sales in the last two months of the year, but not enough to rescue the whole year, which is forecast to dip for the first time since 2001.

Some analysts had expected an uptick in production of laptops ahead of the Windows 8 launch, but PC makers facing an uncertain global economy have been wary about committing.

Chip maker Intel Corp, which is a good gauge of future PC demand due to its position early in the production process, expects the PC business to grow at only half the normal seasonal rate in the fourth quarter.

Chief Executive Paul Otellini recently told analysts he expects to have a better understanding of the success of Windows 8 in 90 days.

Stephen Baker, an analyst at retail research firm NPD Group, is expecting a 10 percent jump in PC sales for November and December over last year, but said comparisons will be difficult given a profusion of new devices and the volatility of year-ago data.

Fourth-quarter PC shipment numbers from research firms Gartner and IDC will not be published until early January, although analysts say PC makers might start to drop hints about demand before then.

“There will likely be many milestones, but very few will ultimately be decisive. The key point is will PC sales continue to shrink or will they experience a boost,” said Al Hilwa at research firm IDC. “We can probably begin to properly judge that with some ambiguity in January.”

source: interaksyon.com

Globe Tattoo Launches Own Tablet With The New Tattoo Mediapad

RIDING high on the popularity of tablet devices, Tattoo launches its own tablet with the Tattoo Mediapad.

“Once again, Tattoo leads other broadband services by having our very own tablet, the Tattoo Mediapad. As the number one broadband in the country, we constantly monitor and anticipate consumer needs and come up with products and services that best suit them. Subscribers have been clamoring for a tablet that would give them a bang for their buck bundled with a plan that would best fit their lifestyle,” explains Dong Ronquillo, Head of Tattoo Nomadic Broadband Business.

Running on a dual core 1.2 Ghz processor and Android 4.0 ICS, the 7” Tattoo Mediapad has a 1.3 megapixels front camera and a 5 megapixels rear camera, with 8 GB internal storage with built-in support for micro SD expansion. The Tattoo Mediapad boasts of an outstanding display and has the highest PPI among 7” tablets in the market today. It suits well as handy gadget for games and entertainment.

Furthermore, the Tattoo Mediapad has a hotspot feature which allows users to share their wireless Internet connection with up to 5 other Wi-Fi devices.

“Another standout feature of the Tattoo Mediapad are apps like Yozo Office, an office on-the-go program that allows you to to view and edit Worksheets, Text Documents, and Presentations. Tablet users who are always on the go would find this feature very useful,” Ronquillo adds.

The Tattoo Mediapad can be purchased at only P10,990 available at 12 months to pay at 0% interest when subscribed to a Tattoo Personalized Plan 999.

“With this bundle, you get the best of both worlds. You get to own one of the hottest tablets in the market today plus you get to experience the best mobile broadband service that only Tattoo could provide,” Ronquillo says.

Subscription to Tattoo also gives the subscriber access to livetattoo.ph, the first and only lifestyle portal in the Philippines, that provides exclusive discounts/ privileges and freebies.

Live without limits with your Tattoo Mediapad Plan 999.

Visit tattoo.globe.com.ph or any Globe store near you.

article source: mb.com.ph

Barnes & Noble cuts price on Nook tablets

NEW YORK — Barnes & Noble Inc cut prices on three models of its Nook e-reader and tablet devices on Sunday, ahead of the peak of the back to school season and amid speculation that rival Amazon.com Inc is preparing to launch a new version of its Kindle Fire tablet.

Barnes & Noble, which has said the Nook has allowed it to win 27 percent of the U.S. e-books market, said it had slashed the retail price of its Nook tablet with 16 GB of memory to $199 from $249. Amazon is the market leader with about 60 percent of e-book and e-reader sales.

The largest U.S. bookstore chain also shaved $20 off its 8 GB version of the tablet to $179. Barnes & Noble lowered the price of its Nook Color by $20, bringing it to $149, the latest reduction for that model.

The new prices went into effect on Sunday.

Despite the popularity of the Nook devices, Barnes & Noble has had to reduce the price of various versions on a number of occasions to compete with Amazon, which is believed to be preparing to launch a new version of its Kindle Fire tablet. The earlier price reductions cut into Barnes & Noble’s earnings.

The company, which has bet its future on staking a claim in the e-books industry, reported lower-than-expected revenue in the fourth quarter and said Nook revenue fell 10.5 percent.

Signs at one Manhattan Barnes and Noble store already reflected the new prices on Sunday.

article source: interaksyon.com

Apple extends gains in surging tablet market: survey

Apple extended its dominance in the sizzling tablet computer market in the second quarter of 2012, with the iPad grabbing 68 percent of global sales, a survey showed Thursday.

The preliminary report by IDC showed global tablet sales of 25 million — up 33.6 percent from the first quarter and 66.1 percent year-over-year.

Apple got a boost from the March release of its newest version of the iPad, and sold 17 million tablets in the second quarter.

Samsung jumped into second place with sales of nearly 2.4 million, up 117 percent from a year earlier.

“Apple built upon its strong March iPad launch and ended the quarter with its best-ever shipment total for the iPad, outrunning even the impressive shipment record it set in the fourth quarter of last year,” said Tom Mainelli, an IDC analyst.

“The vast majority of consumers continue to favor the iPad over competitors.”
Demand is increasingly strong in sectors such as education, said Mainelli.

“While iPad shipment totals are beginning to slow a bit in mature markets where the device saw early traction, growth in other regions is clearly more than making up the difference,” he added.

Amazon rebounded from a sluggish first quarter to sell 1.2 million of its Kindle Fire, which was launched late last year and is sold only in the United States.

Asus was fourth with 855 million tablets sold, a jump of 115 percent from a year earlier.

The data do not include the Google-Asus co-branded Nexus 7, which was launched in July.

IDC said it expects competition in the tablet market to continue to heat up in the second half of 2012 with new product launches from Amazon, probably Apple, and an influx of Microsoft Windows 8 and Windows RT-based tablets.

“If anything, there’s a real risk that people will have too many options from which to choose this holiday season,” said Bob O’Donnell of IDC.

“Consumers baffled by the differences between Amazon and Google versions of Android, or Windows 8 and Windows RT, may well default to market leader Apple.
Or they may simply choose to remain on the sideline for another cycle.”

Many analysts believe Apple will launch a smaller version of its iPad later this year, and that Amazon will release an upgraded Kindle Fire. Microsoft is set to release its Surface tablet in late October.

source: interaksyon.com

Tablets to overtake notebook PCs by 2016: study

Tablet computers are expected to overtake notebook PCs by 2016 as consumers shift to newer devices like the Apple iPad, a survey said Tuesday.

The survey by research firm NPD said tablets will be “the growth driver” for the mobile computer market over the next few years.

Overall mobile PC shipments including tablets will grow from 347 million in 2012 to over 809 million by 2017.

Notebook PC shipments are expected to increase from 208 million in 2012 to 393 million by 2017, but tablet shipments are expected to grow from 121 million to 416 million in the same period.

A key driver for tablet growth is adoption in North America, Japan and Western Europe, which will account for 66 percent of shipments in 2012 and remain in the 60 percent range throughout the next few years, NPD said.

“Consumer preference for mobile computing devices is shifting from notebook to tablet PCs, particularly in mature markets,” said Richard Shim, analyst at NPD.

“While the lines between tablet and notebook PCs are blurring, we expect mature markets to be the primary regions for tablet PC adoption. New entrants are tending to launch their initial products in mature markets. Services and infrastructure needed to create compelling new usage models are often better established in mature markets.”

In its most recent quarterly survey on mobile devices, NPD said in May that Apple’s iPad had 62.8 percent of the tablet market, with Samsung a distant second at 7.5 percent.

Since then Google said it would sell its own branded tablet made by Asus, while Microsoft introduced a tablet that converts to a notebook, to be on sale later this year.

source: interaksyon.com